Planter.



PATENTED'-MAR. 10, 1908.

C. W. MICHAEL.

PLSETER. APPLIGATMN fum) my; y.,

NCS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

f Y WHUVHIIbWIH All TwHHrNMJr, .Y V

PATBNTED MAR. 10, 1908.

c. w. Mmmm..

PLANTER.

PPLIcA'rIoH rum JULY 11. 190s.

2 sums-sain a.

Af J1 0J. (1112. l.. ...lirnolllll CLEMENT W. MICHAEL, 0l" RACINE, WISCONSIN. l='r.\li il?. '1N i. l RACINE, WISCONSIN, A (.Ultllifx'fIGN.

l. CASE PLOW WORKS, OF

PLANTEF..

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 11, 1906. Serial No.

Patented March 10, 1908.

1b all whom lit may concern.'

Beit known that I, CLEMENT W. MICHAEL a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Racine, county of Racine and State oi Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Planters, of which the following is a full7 clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to planters and more articularly to planters employing revolving rrow-opening disks.

The invention seeks to provide a shield and seeding devices in connection with such a. disk which are so hung as to be free to move slightly to follow the variations of the revolving disk, so that the shield will at all '.times be in engagement with the side of the disk and seed accurately dropped in the fur row formed thereby.

A. further object of the invention is to provide an improved coveringblade in connection with the disk.

`With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts' hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointedV out in the appendedlaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the planter to which the present improvements are applied. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the furrow-forming and seeding devices with parts of the frame shown in section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and with the body of the seed hopper shown in central section. Fig. 3 is a detail section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa rear view of the parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The main frame of the lplanter comprises g the side bars 10 connecte by cross bars 11 and carried upon the axle 12 'of the supporting and covering wheels 13. The seeding and furrow-forming devices are carried upon a forward frame comprising the front and rear bars 14 connectedat their ends by. cross pieces 15 :md intermediate their ends by cross pieces 11'. The side bars 10 are plvoted as usual 1.o the cross pieces 16 of' the front frame. The draft pole 17 is connected to the front frame'and suitable means (not.

shown) are provided for raising and lo ermg the front frame to md from working position.

Suitable cast-ings or supports 18 (see Figs.

l 1 and L?) are secured between the front` and rear bars il of the forward frame and the cast human pt rtions 1) of the seed cans or hoppcrs 21), are mounted upon the supports 1S. in the form shown (see Figs. 2 and 3) the hopper bottoms 19 are provided at. the front with a lug or lugs 21 that are connected vby a pivot holt 21d to a lug 22 on the supportl casting At the rear, the hopper bottoms are phi-vided with a lug 23 secured by bolts .21 to a lug 2.', on the casting. Y

.i drive shaft 26 is journaled in cross bars 160i' the iront frame and, at. its ends, in lugs 27 depending from the hopper bottoms 19. This shaft isdriven from the wheel axle 2() by a sprocket chain LN which preferably rotates the sha-it 26 through the medium of a clutch mechanism 251 thereon. This clutch mechanism may he of any suitable construction and controlled by a dog 30 upon a checks row rock-shaft $11.. Thi; shaft is journaled at its ends in the supporting castings 18 and is yieldinglv held in normal position by a spring 32. -it its ends the rock-shaft 31 is provided with the usual check-row forks 33. The foot trip 31 on the frame is connected to the checkaow rock-shaft 31 by a link 35 so that the latter may he shifted when it is desired to plant in' drills rather than in checkrows. Thr` parts thus far described may be of any usual or desired construction'.

The bottoni of the seed ho per (see 3) is provided with suitable see delivery mechanis-in h2: which the seeds are delivered through a discharge opening 36 in the hopper bottom 1). The casting 18 extends downwardly on the convex side of vthe furrow-opening 3T in the form of a supportor boot, and is provided (see Fig. 3) at its upper rear i port-ion with :i seed conduit 38 arranged beneath the dis-charge opening 36 of the seed lmPDer. The concave-convex furrow-ofpening dial; 37 is arranged on the inside o he supportin casting or boot 18 and is mounted to rotate upon a. stud or bolt 39 which extends throulgrh the lower forward portion of the su port or casting 1S. There are two of these mrow-opening disks, as indicated in Fig. 1., one f or each of the feeding mechanisms at the opposite ends ot the forward frame. 7 The concave sides of the disk face inwardly i 'and are t` r'wardl v and outwardly inclined, as shown, to properly i'orin the fiu'rows 1n which lthe seed is planted. The parts associated with each of these disks are alike so that but one of the seeding mechanisms need be described in detail.

From the inner end of'the bolt or stud "haft 39, Whereon the disk 37 is journaled, -g'itends a brace rod 40 (see Figs. 2 and 4) which extends u wardly and inwardly and is secured to the ont bar 14 of the forward frame. the stud or bolt 39 I(see Fig. 4) carries an arm 42 and a scra er blade 43 is mounted upon a bolt 44 at t e u per end of the arm. A spring 45 coiled a out the bolt extends between the nut 46 thereon and the scraper blade 43 and serves to press the scraper blade against the concave side of the disk.

A shield 47 is arranged to coperate with the furrow-opening disk to keep the furrow clear for the proper deposit of seed therein. The forward edge of this shield is inturned, as shown in Fi 4, and engages the lower portion of the disk slightly in rear of the center thered.\ The forward edge of the shield is shaped to conform with the outline of the disk so as to snugly engage the convex side thereof. In order that the shield may conform to any variationin the side face of the disk as the latter revolves, it is pivotedto swing laterally. For this purpose, the shield in the form shown is provided at'its upper end with a pair of upwardly projecting lugs l48 (see Figs. 2 and 3) and a pivot pin or Abdlt 49 extends through these lugs and through a pair of depending lugs 50 at the urppcigrear portion of the casting or boot 18. l e pivot pin 49 is arranged substantially paral l to the plane of the furrow-opening disk 37 so that the shield 47 may swing laterally and f properly conform to any variations in the side face of the disk as the latter revolves. The shield extends downwardly from its pivot inside of a rearwardly extending projection 51 (see Figs. 2 and 4) at the lower rear portion of the supporting boot or casting 18. A. lug 52 projecting outwardly from the outer face of the shield extends through an opening 53 in the projection 51 of the supporting boot. The weight ofthe shield is thus largely carried directly upon the main body of the support or boot 18 so that the ivot pin 49 of the shield is relieved from unue strain. To further relieve the in from any twisting strain, the shield is hel against disk as the latter revolves.

twisting by making the lug 52 and the o )enin 53 of rectangiilar form, as shown. he shield is however, free to move laterally about the ivot pin 49 so that it may at all times snug y engage the convex side of the A cushion spring 54 arranged on a stud 55 projecting from the outer face of the shield, extends between the shield and the projection 51 ofthe supporting boot and this spring serves to press the shield toward the disk and yieldingly hold the same into engagement therewith.

A. collar 41 fixed to the inner end of- Suitable means are provided for conducting the seed from the conduit 38 of the boot downwardly between ,the disk 37 and shield 47, and a. valve device is provided for con|- trolling the delivery of the seed for planting in hills. This valve device is mounted on the shield to move laterally therewith in following variations in the side of the disk, and is preferably in the form of a chute 56, the upper end of which is arranged within a boxli e portion 57 at the upper end of the shield. A transverse pivot 58 extends through the box-like portion 57 at the upper portion of the shield and through a rearwardly projecting lug 59 at the upper end of the valve chute or tube 56. The chute is arranged in line with and communicates with the seed conduit- 38 of the boot 18 and its lower end is normally closed by a lip or shelf 60 on the inner face of the shield and projecting inwardly therefrom. A link 61 pivotally engages a lug 62 at the lower end of the chute 56 and extends upwardly and forwardly therefrom (see Fig. 3). The upper end of this link is connected to a short rock-arm` 63 on the check-row shaft 31. The link is preferably adjustably threaded into a coupling piece 61a which is pivotally connected to the end of the arm 61. It will be seen that the valve chute 56 is carried on the shield 37, so as to swing laterally therewith about the pivot pin 49 in followin any variation in the side face of the disk so tiat the seed will always be properlyT- deposited in the furrow formed by the disk. The chute however, in the form shown, mav also be swung or vibrated back and forth about the pivot pin 58 independently of the shield 37, so that its lower end may be shifted into and out of line with the shelf 60 to open and close the chute and deposit the seed as required in check-row or lull plant- ,A check valve 64 (see Fig. 3) is arranged within the seed conduit 3S at the upper rear portion of the supporting boot or casting 18. This check valve 1s pivoted at'it-s lower end upon a cross pin 65 and is provided with a forwardly extending arm 66 that is connected by a link 6T to a forwardly projectingl arm 68 on the upper portion of the seed chute 56. The link 67 1s by preference adjustablv threaded into a coupling piece 69 which is pivoted to the end of the arm 68.

ln checkrow planting the rock-shaft 31 is held by its spring 32 with the forks 33 in forward position, as shown in Fig. 1 and, as

'shown in Fig. 3, the check valve 64 normally closes lthe conduit 3S and the seed chute 56 is normally in engagement with the shelf 60 so that the lower end thereof is closed. The seeding mechanism within the hopper is preferably arranged to accumulate the seeds, one ata time upon the valve 64, as the machine travels between rows. When the check-row Wire operates on` the fork 33 and oscillates v ter may float as it the rook-shaft 31, the spout 56 is vibrated rearwardly to project the hill offcorn on the shelf 60 into the furrow, and the hill acoumulated on the, check valve G4 falls through the conduit 38 and chute 56 and is caught by the return movement thereof upon the shelf 60. In drill planting the recit-shaft 31 is shifted to hold the valve 64 and chute 56 in open position.

A curved covering blade is arranged to turn the earth into the furrow over the deposit-ed com and this blade is mounted upon a Ushaped supporting arm 71, the outturned end of which is ivoted or journaled in a transverse sleeve or lhg 72 at the forward lower portion of the supporting bootor casting 18. From its pivot on the convex side of the disk the U-shaped arm 71 extends forwardly and over the disk to the concave side thereof and is secured to the forward end of the covering blade 70. The forwardly projecting arm 71 partially counter balances the weight of the covering blade so that the latasses over irregularities in the ground. VY en the seeding devices are lifted from working posit-ion the outer end of the U-shaped arm 71 strikes against. the upper forward portion of the casting or boot 1S and thus acts as a` stop to prevent the covering blade man swinging too far in downward direction. Any suitable forni of mechanism for discharging seed from the hopper may be employed. In the form shown (see Fig. 3) the bottom 19 of-the ho iper is `rovided atits edge with an upwardl )ecting flange 73 which is preferablyT cut away or outwardly inclined at its upper portion, as indicated at 74. A cap or cover plate 75 is mounted upon a central raised portion 76 of the hopper` bottom and its outer downturned edge portion forms, with the flange 73 of the hopper bottom, an annular feedway through which the kernels of corn are delivered to the cells of the seed plate rotating below the cap plate. A central stud or bolt 77 extends through the raised portion 76 on 4the hopper bottom and through the cap plate and a. winged-nut 78 thereon removably olds the cap plate or cover -75 in position. A piece 79 is held in place by a bolt S() beneath the lower headed-end of the stud 77 so that the latter cannot fall from position when the thumb nut 7S is removed. An annular beveled gear S1 is arranged within an annular groove or recess 82 in the hopper bottom and meshes with a beveled pinion S3 u )on the shalt 26. The gear is provided with an inwardly projecting horizontal flange S4 which engages a rabbet or shoulder S5 in the hopper bottom and is rotatably sustained in position thereby. The gear is also provided with an upwardly projecting flange The annular seed platt. 8S having cells S9 is held in position between the l'opper bottom and the cover or cap plate 75 and between the upright y pro-` flange 73 of the hopper bottom and the u right flange 86 of the drive gear S1. T e seed plate is provided with inwardly projet-ting lugs S7 that engage notches in the vertical flange S6 of the gear so that the plates are connected to the ratchet with the gear.

The cap plate or cover 75 is provided at one portion of its periphery with an outwardly projecting flange 98, the outer edge of which rests upon the hopper bottom, (see Fig. 3 A. cut-off 102 (see Fig. 2) is provided with a stem 103 extending upwardly through a cas ing 104. This casing is arranged over the flange 98 ofthe cap plate and is secured to the latter by a bolt 105. A seed ejector or ex- Apellet' 10S is arranged below the flange 98 and over the discharge opening 36. A secondary cut-ofi or guide finger 113 is arranged in front of the ejector and upon the end of a stem 114 guided in the casing 104.

It is obvious that the hopper may be provided with any suitable form of seed discharging mechanism and that numerous changes may be made in the details of structure set forth without departure from the essentials of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the frame having a seed delivery conduit, of a revoluble furrow opening disk, a shield held against the side of said disk, and a valve device operating beween said shield and disk, said shield and valve device being mounted to move at rightangles to the disk and free to follow any lateral variation of the disk as the latter revolves, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the frame having a seed delivery conduit, of a revoluble, concavo-convex furrow opening disk journaled at an angle on said frame, a shield on the convex side of said disk having its forward edge shaped to conform thereto,.said shield being movably mounted and free to follow any lateral variation ofthe disk as the latter revolves, and a seed chute between said shield and disk and connected to said shield to move laterally therewith, substantially as described. l

3. In a. planter, the combinationwith the frame having a seed delivery conduit. of a furrow opening disk journaled atan angle on said frame. a cooperating shield. said shield being pivotally mounted on said frame to swing at right angles to said disk. a spring for yieldingly holding said shield into engagement with the convex side of said disk. and a seed chute between'said shield and disk and mounted on said shield, substantially as described.

4. In planters. the combination with the A35 frame, o a furrow o "said frame, of a sine d and4 yieldingly spring ield against the con- 'i vpivoted on said shield mating said seed chute,

a shield on the convex side of said disk, a

valve device connected to said shield, said i* 'shield being pivoted on said frame and arran ed to move together with said valve device to follow any variation of the side of I5 said disk as the latter revolves, substantially as described.

6. In planters, the combinatio'n with the y frame havinga seed delivery conduit, of a furrow openingA disk journalcd on said frame,

Y a shield on the convex side of said disk, said shield being `pivoted to said frame to swing laterally and a valve device connected to said shield and operating between. said shield and disk, substantially as described.

7. In planters, the combination with the 'frame having a seed delivery conduit, of 'a furrow opening disk journaled on said frame,

' a shield movably mounted on the frame and .yieldingly held against the convex side of 30 said disk and a valve device operating between said disk and shield, said valve device f being mounted on and movable with said shield, substantially as described.

8. In lanter's, the combination with the ening disk journaled on ivoted on said frame vex side of said disk, a vibratory seed chute and means for oper- 4substantially as described..

v 9. In planters, the combination with the lframe having a seed delivery conduit, of a revoluble, concavo-convex, furrow o Vdisk journaled'on said frame, a shield pivoted i on th frame to swing laterally and yieldingly sk, a valve device mounted on said shield i Y. )sgring-held 'against' the convex side of said to move' laterally therewith and pivoted on the shield to vibrate from vfront to .rear independently thereof and check-row mechanism for vibrating said valve device, substautially as described.

10. In planters, the combination with the supporting 4boot having a seed conduit, of a furrow opening disk 'ournaled at an incline on said boot, a shield pivotally. mounted on said hoot and yieldingly held against the convex side of said disk, a vibratory seed chute pivoted on said shield and communicati with said conduit, said shield having a shgii for normally closing the lower end of said chute, and means for vibrating said chute, substantially described. v L

11. In planters, the combination withth'e supporting boot having a seed conduit, of a furrow opening disk 'ournaled at an incline on said boot, a shiel pivotally mounted on said boot and yieldingly held against the con-- vex side of said disk, a vibratory seed chute pivoted on said shield and communicating with said conduit, said shield having a shelf for normally closing the lower end of said chute, a` valve in the conduit of said boot, connections between said valve and said chute and check-row mechanism for vibrating said chute, substantially as described.

12. In planters, the combination with the frame, of a furrow opening disk journaled on the frame and a covering blade having a supporting( arm pivoted on the convex side of the dis and extending around the disk to the concave side thereof, substantially as described.

13. In planters, the combination with the frame, of a furrow opening disk journaled on said frame and a covering blade having a U-sha ed supporting arm which is pivoted to sai frame on the convex side of said disk and extends forwardly and around the disk to the concave side thereof, said forwardly extending supporting arm serving as a counter-balance to cause said covering blade to float, substantially as described. V

1 CLEMENT lV. MICHAEL.'

Witnesses:

DANIEL E. HOWELL, ARTHUR J. SwENsoN. 

